Inferno
by Richelieu
Summary: What if, when Clark takes Kara from the pod, he leaves Kara with Bruce instead of the Danvers family? Also, Clark is a total douchebag.
1. Chapter 1: Drop-off

It was a relatively quiet night in Gotham, by the Batman's reckoning. So far, only a couple of armed car robberies, and an attempted murder had occurred and Batman wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth what with his villains being silent for once. A voice called over his earpiece, "Master Bruce, you have a visitor."

"Who would show up at this time of night?"

"Mister Kent and a guest, Master Bruce."

Batman paused, weighing the pros vs the cons of calling it an early night. He could continue to patrol the streets or go see what Clark could possibly need at three in the morning. After all, if Clark had brought over someone that Alfred didn't know and couldn't find any information on, then there must be a problem and some questions would need answering. And if there were two things that Bruce hated most, they were problems and unanswered questions.

"…I'm on my way."

"Please do try to drive safe, sir."

Bruce scowled as he pulled into the Batcave, noticing that Alfred had let Clark and his mysterious guest downstairs. He got out of the car, and with an exaggerated flourish of his cape, he quickly stalked towards the two. "Superman, what can I do for you?"

"It's alright, Bruce. This is Kara, my cousin. She knows both my Kryptonian name and my adopted name." Batman frowned, "Who is this Bruce you speak of? I am the Batman. I don't even know a Bruce."

"Oh my gosh," Clark huffed. "She knows that you are Bruce Wayne: billionaire by day, and Batman, vigilante by night."

Bruce's frown got deeper; he would have to have a talk with Clark about divulging personal information like that at a later date. "Fine, now tell me why she is here with you."

"That's what I'm here to talk about." He paused, uncertainty clouding his features momentarily, "Uh Kara, why don't you explore around the cave a little?" The girl bobbed her head a few times reluctantly before wandering about. Bruce had to wonder if Clark had even told her why she was here.

Clark hesitated before slowly speaking. "Bruce, I need a favor. A big favor."

"What, Clarke? Just spit it out."

"I need you to take in Kara," Clark rushed out.

Bruce choked on his saliva and hurried to cover it as a cough, "I'm sorry, what? You want _me_ , Bruce Wayne, to watch over _your_ cousin for you?"

Clark ran his hand through his thick black hair, sighing harshly, "I know how it sounds, but I just can't take her in right now. My apartment only has room for one and it would be hard to explain to Lois why I suddenly have a thirteen year old girl who doesn't look like me living at my apartment. I'm not even sure if she is fully a girl. You are the only one that I trust enough to be able to deal with this."

 _Deal with this?_ Bruce was starting to see Superman in a new light, "And it would be easier to explain that for me? You understand that I would have to give up my cover as a playboy bachelor to do this? That the press is going to wonder why I've stopped showing up at parties, why I suddenly have a young girl living in my manor."

"You can always say that she was dropped off on your doorstep and you took her in. You can make her a completely new identity, make records for her. Give her a social security number, forge a birth certificate. I can't do those things as a reporter for The Daily Planet, Bruce. I don't even know how to do those, but you do and you can. Please, Bruce, you really are the only person I trust enough to do this." It was becoming quite clear to Bruce that Clark had thought long and hard about this. The man didn't even have the decency to _try_ to make it work with the child. Being an orphan himself, Bruce was growing increasingly angry at Clark for being so careless.

"Alright, Clark. I will do this for you, but keep in mind that you _will owe_ me for this." Bruce would do and just about say anything to get the man out of his house before he caused further damage to the child standing a few feet away. If she was anything like Clark, she heard everything.

"Thank you so much. I will try to stop by every once in awhile, to come visit. I really can't tell you how grateful I am for this. Good night, Bruce." Batman watched in disbelief as Clark didn't even stop to tell his cousin goodbye before he flew out of the cave. What kind of a man could be so uncaring as to leave a child with someone that the child doesn't even know? To throw them into such a foreign environment. Bruce stared at the sky where Clark had disappeared, losing respect for the man with each passing second. He would raise Kara into someone that Clark would be envious of. He would show Clark the hidden gem that he had thrown away, had tossed aside like week old garbage.

Alfred cleared his throat behind him. "Master Bruce, the girl…"

He startled, having momentarily forgotten that he wasn't alone. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and slowly walked over to where Kara was standing, a frown on her face as she looked up at the starry night.  
"How much did you hear?" he asked as he stood next to her.

"Everything. I'm just a burden, aren't I? I was sent here to watch over and protect him, but Kal is all grown up and I failed. I have no purpose, and now he doesn't want me."

Bruce got down on one knee and took off his cowl. "Kara, listen to me. When we lose purpose, we find another one to concentrate on. We always strive to do better, regardless of success or failure in the past. And as for you staying here, you are more than welcome to join my family. I will always have space for you. I'm going to assume that you also lost your parents in the explosion that took Krypton and since I know what it is like to lose your parents at a young age, I will not turn you away."

Tears in her eyes and throat choking up with emotion, Kara whispered, "Thank you. That means a lot to me." She hesitated before continuing, "So what happens now?"

"If it's alright with you, I would like to legally adopt you. We would bring someone up to the manor to make everything official." Bruce paused, "How do you feel about that?"

Kara sniffled and shuffled her feet, muttering, "I would like that very much, sir."

Her face became panicked, "But only if you're sure! I wouldn't want to impose or anything."

A hint of a smile appeared on Bruce's face, "Of course, Kara. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I just have one question, though, and I apologize if it is uncomfortable for you to answer. What did Clark mean when he said that he wasn't even sure if you were fully a girl?"

Kara wrapped her arms around herself. "You aren't going to want me either after I tell you. I'm…different from other Kryptonians, I'm not normal. I was born with male genitalia instead of female parts. I don't know how Kal found out since it was a closely guarded secret between my mother, my father, and my aunt. It's probably just another reason that he doesn't want me."

Bruce was infuriated. How could Clark be _so_ callous? To throw away family just because it was inconvenient? Because Kara was different? He would be having words with the Man of Steel the next time they saw each other. If anything, Kara's admission only hardened his resolve. He wouldn't throw away someone as precious as Kara. He kept his face soft as he addressed the blonde.

"Oh sweetie, it's going to be okay. We'll just have to show him what he is missing. This changes things a little, but it's alright since we can make some documents for you. If it is alright with you, I would like to make all of your records show you as male. You will probably be in some newspapers growing up, and it will ensure no one asks any questions you aren't ready for. One more thing, would you like to change your name on paper? Alfred and I can still address you as Kara if you want."

"That's fine with me, sir. What were you thinking for my name?" Kara was bouncing on the balls of her feet. She almost couldn't contain her excitement. This would definitely keep her mind off of Kal's abandonment for a while.

Bruce grinned, "Well, I think we should keep it close to your real name. So maybe Karson? You would be Karson Wayne in public and Kara Wayne in private. What do you think of that?"

"Honestly, sir, this whole prospect sounds exciting. It solves any problems for the foreseeable future." A grin took over Kara's face, and Bruce found himself returning it. Vowing to never let that smile fall from her face ever again.

"Kara, I need you to do one more thing for me. Please stop calling me sir. If you're comfortable with it, I'd prefer that you call me dad or father. Is that ok?"

"Yes, sir…I mean, yes, Father. Thank you again."

Bruce let of a sigh of relief and stood, extending his hand to Kara, "Alright. Now tomorrow, we will make some documents for you, get someone up here to make it official, and get you some new clothes. As for tonight, why don't Alfred and I get you settled in? Let me just get changed and then we'll go," Bruce quickly stripped out of the Batsuit into some warm sweats. He took her hand and led her up the stairs into the manor.


	2. Chapter 2: Downpour

_Gotham:_

Selina turned her motorcycle from the street onto the long driveway leading up to Wayne Manor. Bruce had called her over to discuss something urgent, and she worried what he could possibly want to talk about. Alfred walked out the front doors as she pulled to a stop. "Good evening, Miss Kyle. Master Bruce awaits your presence in the Drawing Room."

"Thank you, Alfred. It's nice to see you again." She gave him a small smile.

"And you as well, ma'am. May I take your coat and helmet?"

"Of course, Alfred. And how many times must I ask that you call me Selina?"

He gently shook his head with a smile as he took her gear. "At least one more time, ma'am."

Selina chuckled and said goodbye as she entered the Manor, making sure to wipe her feet on the entrance mat. It had been raining heavily for the past hour or so and didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. She quickly found the room she was looking for and slipped quietly inside the door. She padded over to where Bruce was brooding in front of the fireplace and slipped her arms over his shoulders.

He startled, which told Selina that she had caught him with his guard down. He turned in her arms to address her. "Selina, thank you for coming."

"Of course, dear. Now what is the problem?"

He took a step back and then wandered over to the windows, watching the rain pour outside. "…Clark stopped by earlier."

Selina was confused. She knew that Clark was Superman, glasses didn't fool her after all, but she wondered what he could possibly need to stop by for earlier that a simple phone call couldn't handle. She didn't say anything, knowing that Bruce needed a minute to gather his thoughts.

He was silent for a while before continuing, "He asked me to take in his cousin. Kara. That's her name. I agreed, of course, because she doesn't have any parents anymore, but…I just…how could Clark just abandon her so carelessly? To tell me that there wasn't enough room in his apartment, when I know that he and Lois live together and there is room for a third person. He told me that he "wasn't even sure she was fully a girl." That just _has_ to be the reason that he won't take her in, simply because she has a dick. I honestly thought that he had given up that small-minded mentality."

Selina let him rant until he paused. "Breathe, honey. Is that all? I mean, it seems like there might be more to the story." She rubbed his back to help console him.

"I messed up, Selina. Kara was so hurt by Clark's comment that she wasn't fully a girl that I overreacted. I told her that when we made up birth records for her that she could be marked as a boy while staying a girl at home. I should've given her the choice. I should've told her that being born with a certain set of genitalia isn't a bad thing, that it happens and that it's fine. But instead, I came up with a plan that I thought would give her protection and more privacy from the tabloids and papers, but I may have hurt her without thinking about it. I only want her to be comfortable here, but I think I may have caused more damage than I fixed."

"Oh, Bruce," she sighed. "Yes, you should've explained the situation to Kara and let her decide, but you have a chance to fix that, alright? I understand what you were trying to do, but it didn't work out as well as you thought. I could speak to her, if you want. Just as long as she knows that it won't change anything. That you'll still be here for her."

Bruce slumped into one of the nearby chairs, "Could we talk to her together? I want the two of you to meet. After all, you're an important part of my life and I want you two to get along with each other."

"Of course, sweetie." She kissed the top of his head gently, but froze when the drawing room doors creaked open slowly and a small blonde girl revealed herself to be standing in the doorway.

Bruce sat up straight, "Kara? What are you doing still awake?" Kara looked hesitant to answer in the presence of Selina. "Oh. Let me introduce the two of you. I had hoped to do this tomorrow, but seeing as you are already up and about…" He got up, took Kara's hand in his, and led her over to where Selina was standing, "Kara, I'd like you to meet Selina, my partner. Selina, meet Kara, my soon to be adopted daughter." He led Kara to the chair he had previously been sitting in and asked her to sit. "Kara, I wanted to talk to you about earlier because this is important and I need you to know so you can make an informed decision, alright?" He took a deep breath, "When I suggested to have your name be Karson in public, it was wrong of me to not really give you a choice. I thought that I knew what was best for you even though we had literally just met minutes before. And for that, I'm sorry. We will make your records say whatever you want them to say. All you have to do is say the word. And if you don't want to call me dad, that's okay too. While I want you to be comfortable enough to do so, I absolutely will not force you to call me anything other than Bruce."

Kara released the breath that she didn't know she had been holding, "Thank you. After some consideration after we talked, I decided that I would like to have my records show me as male, if you don't mind. It would be easier for me if I pretended that I was a boy and became Karson Wayne, at least in public. I can always bind my chest when I get older. About calling you father…" Bruce's shoulders slumped slightly, "Um... Before I give you an answer, I have to explain my family. My biological father was Zor-El, a renowned Scientist who worked for the Science Guild on Krypton. My mother was Alura In-Ze, a Judicator for Krypton. The only person who really raised me was my Aunt Astra and she's gone. Gone like everyone else. So to answer your question: yes, I would love to call you Father, on the condition that you won't leave me like my biological family did." By the time that she had finished speaking, Kara had tears glistening down her cheeks.

Kara turned to Selina, asking quietly, "If you are Father's partner, does that make you my Mother?"

Selina looked sharply at Bruce, who nodded with a soft smile, "Only if you want me to be, sweetie. I won't leave you. Neither of us will."

After Kara had been put to bed, Bruce turned to Selina, "This isn't how I wanted to do this, but…" He got down on one knee, and pulled out a small box, "I have been wanting to do this for a while, but there never seemed a right time to ask. The highlight of my day is seeing your face the moment I wake and the moment before I fall asleep. You are the love of my life, Selina, and there will never be anyone else for me. You are the one, and I couldn't be happier. Will you do me the immense honor of marrying me?"

"Oh, Bruce," Selina covered her grin with a hand, "You must have been brooding over this for so long. Of course, darling. Of course I will marry you."

Bruce stood, taking the simple titanium band with a single inlaid sapphire on it out of the box and sliding it onto Selina's left ring finger. He twirled her around in a circle, laughing. Selina chuckled, "Darling, this is the happiest moment of my life. We will be there for Kara, and raise her right. She will grow up to be the strongest being on this planet, and we will be there to guide her through whatever life throws at the three of us."


	3. Chapter 3: Descent

Gotham:

Three years had passed since Clark had brought Kara to stay at Wayne Manor, and Kara was now sixteen. Bruce and Selina had gotten married very privately, Kara and Alfred being the only attendants. The marriage had quickly become national news when the media got wind of it. Clark had even stopped by to ask why he hadn't been invited, to which Bruce replied that it had been for family only. Clark, of course, left without talking to Kara, asking about her health, or even looking in her direction.

After news broke that Gotham's most eligible bachelor was no longer a bachelor, the press just could not get enough details about the Wayne family's private life. The Daily Planet found out that adoption papers had been filed by Bruce and Selina Wayne for a young boy named Karson, and the tabloids were absolutely rabid for pictures of the young Wayne. Bruce and Selina had appeared briefly on Gotham Tonight to explain that Karson was a solitary boy, and that he didn't like too much attention. The media only ever managed to take one picture of the Wayne heir, and it was from a distance so it was not clear.

Selina and Bruce had attempted to get tutors for Kara, but she very quickly outshone all of them, excelling in every topic that was brought up. She explained to her parents that the knowledge of Krypton was hundreds of years ahead of Earth. So, when she wasn't reading in the library, she was training with one or both of her parents or out for a run around the large estate.

Bruce came in to the Batcave while she was using the bench-press, "Kara?"

Kara lifted the bar back onto the rack, "Yeah, dad? What's up?" She got up to grab a towel and a bottle of water, wiping the sweat from her brow. Bruce rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, your mother and I got three tickets to Haly's Circus and well...we were wondering if maybe you wanted to go? I know that you don't really like too much attention, and I don't blame you...but maybe it'd be good to get off the estate for a night in town?"

She gave him a small smile, nodding her head, shoulder length hair bobbing with the motion, "Uh yeah sure. I haven't been out much. What time should I be ready? And what should I wear?" Bruce grinned wide, reaching over Kara to give her a hug, "Ugh, you're all sweaty. Maybe you should hit the shower, Kara." She wiped her brow and flicked some sweat at him, laughing, "Now you have to shower too, dad."

Bruce shook his head, "Be ready to leave at seven, alright? And dress nice. That means no sweats and tank tops! In any case, I am glad that you are coming, Kara. The Circus should be enjoyable for all of us, especially because the Flying Graysons are performing tonight." He chuckled as Kara gasped, "No way! The Flying Graysons? I've been wanting to see them forever!"

Selina stood at the top of the stairs, "Yes, sweetie, we know. That's the main reason that your Father got these tickets.

Kara gave her father another sweaty hug and went to hug her mom, but Selina held her at arm's length, "Oh no you little troublemaker. I know that you are all sweaty and gross and you won't get me like you got your father." Kara shrugged as if to say, "Oh well, I tried." She grinned at her parents one more time before bounding into the house.

When seven o'clock rolled around, Kara was strutting down the stairs that led into the foyer, looking snazzy and swanky all decked out in her dark blue suit. Her shoulder length hair was slicked back, and glasses were firmly in place. This specific suit was her favorite, not only because it hid her growing chest perfectly, which meant that she could go out for a night here or there if she felt so inclined, but it also had a pitch modulator in the collar to lower her voice. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to see her mother and father walking down the stairs at a slower pace.

She grinned at her parents, "Mom, Dad, you both look amazing." And they did. Her father was in a standard black suit and her mother was outfitted in a simple knee length black dress. Together, they looked quite the picture. "Are you ready to go?" Kara asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Bruce nodded and led them all to the car where Alfred was already in the driver's seat.

Once they got to the circus, they were immediately surrounded by photographers, "...And here we have the reclusive Wayne Family in their first appearance in public together in almost three years!" Reporters were clamoring to talk to them, but Bruce just hurried them inside.

"Bruce, Bruce!" A woman's voice called to them. Bruce sighed, "Not her. Please not her." The ginger haired woman drew ever closer. Selina leaned in to whisper to Bruce, "If she even thinks about flirting with you, I am going to rip her face off." Kara chuckled, sure that she wasn't meant to hear that. Selina glanced at her before turning to face the woman who had finally gotten close enough to not yell.

"Bruce, you look dashing as ever. Have you been working out?" She smiled coyly.

"Vicki, it's wonderful to see you again. I'm sure you remember my beautiful wife, Selina, and my son, Karson." He introduced them with a small smile. The ginger rolled her eyes ever so slightly before putting on a saccharine smile and speaking in a honeyed voice, "Ah yes, so nice to see you the two of you again. Well, Bruce, I must be going but we will have to catch up in private sometime soon, just the two of us." She gave him a flirtatious wink before sashaying away back into the throng of people.

They finally got to their seats after greeting a few of the other powerful people in the tent. They watched lion tamers and elephants and tightrope walkers before coming to the main act. The ringmaster came out and declared, "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, you will see the most awe-inspiring act you have ever seen. People of the audience, I present to you the high-flying, death-defying Flying Graysons!" The lights dimmed as the spotlight moved from the floor to the top of the tent, highlighting three people on a platform high above the ground. The woman jumped from the platform first, doing two flips before swinging back to grab the man. He grabbed on to her hands before letting go to do three flips and then grabbed another trapeze.

Kara noticed the trapeze ropes fraying and turned to her father, "Dad, the ropes…" He turned his head slightly, disregarding her statement, "Not now, Karson. Tell me after the performance." Kara huffed, hoping that the acrobats made it safely since there was no net between them and the ground.

The youngest jumped from the platform, grabbing his mother's hands, letting go to do four flips before his father caught him by the hands and deposited him safely on the platform opposite of where he started. The man let go of his own trapeze to grab onto the woman's hands, just as the ropes gave a crack and snapped, sending the man and woman to the ground. Time seemed to slow for Kara as the crowd stood and gasped in horror. She went to try to save them, but before she could do anything, Bruce grabbed onto her sleeve, "You can't, Karson. I'm sorry." She heard a grizzled voice talking in the background, "You should've paid me the protection money, Haly. If you had, your birds would still be flying." The voice laughed and faded as the source walked away. Kara's attention was brought back to the scene in front of her as the adult Graysons landed with a bone-crunching squelch in the middle of the ring. Screams erupted from the audience as men and women scrambled every which way to escape the scene.

Kara got separated from Bruce and Selina quickly, the throng pushing them apart in their haste to escape. She looked up to see the youngest Grayson looking as the grounded where his parents lay, a look of despair and shock on his face. Rage and disgust filled Kara at the utter disregard that the murderer had for the adult Grayson's lives. She pushed her way out of the tent, and ran for an alleyway where she could get to the rooftops unnoticed. She listened for that grizzled voice, found his heartbeat and followed it to an abandoned warehouse not too far from where the circus was. The owner of the voice seemed to be on a phone bragging about his kill, "Y'know, Johnny, I warned the owner of that damned circus. I warned him not to cross me. And he did it anyways. So, I showed him. I ripped the wings right of his birds." He gave a laugh that turned into a coughing fit. "Too bad I didn't get that young one, what's his name? Rick? Rich? I'll get him soon enough." A red haze covered Kara's eyes as she plunged through the skylight into the warehouse, "You won't be "getting" anyone anytime soon." She got up from her crouch, and advanced towards him menacingly.

He pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it at her as he retreated. She stalked towards him slowly, contemplating how to punish him. He fired off two shots, before Kara grabbed him. Mind made, she flew out of the warehouse with the man. She flew out over the docks, gaining altitude quickly. She hovered, hundreds of feet above the crashing waves, "I'm going to do to you what you did to the Graysons. Do you have any last words?"

"Fuck you, bitch. You're going to pay for this shit!" Kara looked down at him, "I highly doubt that." With that said, she let go, watching him free fall. He screamed and it was like music to Kara's ears. When he was only a few feet from the water, she grabbed him by the ankle.

Clearly, he thought he was out of trouble since he growled, "You're going to regret this, you fucking cunt!" She sneered at him before plunging them both into the water. He gasped at the suddenness, drawing water into his lungs as he struggled against her iron grip. He tried to scratch at her face and when that didn't work, he tried to choke her. She kept forcing them down until he stopped flailing, his body going limp. She continued to hold him there, just listening to his heartbeat slow until it gave one final thump and there was no more. Still she held him there for another minute until she was absolutely sure he wasn't coming back. She left him there, floating with eyes wide open. The lack of air finally got to her and she rocketed out of the water, speeding back over to the roofs of the nearby docks. Kara turned to look at the spot where she had left the repulsive man, deep in her thoughts and not regretting her kill in the slightest.

She startled when a voice called to her softly, "Kara…" The blonde turned to face the voice, steeling herself for the sharp rebuke she fully expected to come. Selina stood on the roof with her, walking out of the shadows to approach the nervous blonde. "Oh honey...why? Why would you do that?"

Kara's face hardened as she replied, "He deserved it. He killed two innocent, talented people tonight and made Richard Grayson an orphan." She folded her arms across her chest in a defensive move, retreating with each step that her mother took forward. Her mom reached out, arms wide open to embrace the flighty Kryptonian. Her arms closed around Kara right as the girl started to cry, burrowing her head into her mother's neck. "Shh sweetie. It's all going to be okay, I promise. All of us have dealt with killing someone at one point in time, whether it was intentional or not." Kara couldn't bring herself to tell her mother that she had enjoyed it, had liked watching the life go out of the mobster's eyes. She sobbed harder, "Can...can we go home now? Please?" Selina nodded, "Of course honey. Let's go let your father know that you are alright and then we'll go home, okay?" Kara just nodded in response, following Selina to the car.


	4. Chapter 4: Christmas

_Gotham:_

Time passed quickly for the Wayne family. Kara had received a talk from her parents on how to control herself better. She had thought that they would kick her out, but they understood how hard it must be to have powers and get upset enough to actually kill someone. Bruce had beat someone to death more than once and Selina had kicked someone off a building and broken another's neck by choking them with her whip too hard. Kara was glad that there was no judgement from them, especially as killing someone was one of the worst things someone could do on this planet. Bruce and Selina had adopted Richard Grayson (now Richard Wayne), who quickly let them know that he preferred to be called "Dick." Kara and her new brother got on well quickly and were soon thick as thieves, causing trouble for the adults and wreaking havoc wherever they went. Because of this, Dick had been let in on Kara's secret and he immediately vowed to protect it with his life. With the knowledge of Kara's heritage had come the knowledge that Bruce was also the masked vigilante known as the Batman and that Selina was the anti-villain Catwoman. After explaining all of this to Dick, Bruce had finally worked up the nerve to ask his friend Diana to become Kara and Dick's godmother and was as ecstatic as a man of his dour nature could be when she had replied with a quick, firm "Yes."

And so, they were all gathered at Wayne Manor for Christmas morning. Kara was well on her way to demolishing a plate of Christmas ham, with Dick picking off her plate every so often. The first few times he had done that, Kara had glared at him, eyes alight, but he showed no signs of stopping his behavior, so she eventually gave up trying and resigned herself to never eating everything that was on her plate. The blonde had tried to immediately go for the presents when she saw them, but Bruce had stopped her with a half-serious rebuke, telling her that she had to wait just like everyone else and that they would open presents as soon as everyone was done eating. A sleepy Diana walked down the stairs wrapped tightly in a robe, blinking blearily at the sunlight streaming in from the massive windows. Kara immediately perked up, "Aunt Diana, you're finally up!" She launched herself into the Amazon's open arms, grinning when the older woman didn't even let out a grunt at the force of which Kara had hit her. Diana sighed wistfully, "If only Clark had brought you to me...What a fine Amazon you would have made." Bruce chuckled, "He brought her to me though, so you'll never know." He rose to his feet, "Alright now, why don't we open those presents?" Kara let out a soft squeal which she quickly tried to hide after getting an elbow to the ribs from Dick.

They moved into the sitting room where a large tree was set up with a shining star on top. Diana had asked once what religion they celebrated since they called it Christmas, but Bruce explained that he, himself was an atheist and Kara's god was Rao, so they just did the gift-giving and celebrated family coming together. Bruce had also had to, on more than one occasion, stop Kara from using her X-ray vision to take an early peek at her presents. Kara rushed over to the presents with a burst of superspeed, Dick close behind her. The adults sat in the various chairs around the room. Bruce finally nodded for Kara to start once Alfred had come in through the open doors. She turned to the adults, "Whose do I open first?"

Selina leaned forward in her chair, "Just pick one at random, darling." Kara reached forward, picking up an envelope with her name on it. She opened it slowly, her eyes widening as she read the document enclosed. She looked up at Selina, "No way." Selina chuckled. Dick leaned over to get a look at whatever was in the envelope. He looked at his adoptive mom, "...You got her a motorcycle?" Kara leapt at her mother, giving her the tightest hug she could without causing harm. "Yes, it's sitting in the garage currently," she turned to her son, "Dick, now you open your envelope." He did as he was told and his eyes widened as much as Kara's had. "...I got a motorcycle too?" He got up slowly, and upon reaching Selina, he gave her a hug as well. This was a little bit difficult since Kara was still sitting on Selina's lap, but he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek in thanks. "Thank you, mom. I appreciate this more than you know."

Diana chuckled at the show of affection, "Alright you two, now open my gifts." Dick opened his first this time, letting out a gasp as his present was revealed to be a set of eskrima sticks that would pulse with electricity on one end. They were also collapsible and could be combined to make a short staff. He looked over to see his sister unwrapping a long box. The room seemed to light up as the box was opened to reveal a gleaming sword just over two feet in length, and under it lay a length of rolled up silver chain. "Aunt Diana? What...is this exactly?" Diana walked over to kneel next to Kara, "This is an Apollonian Sword. It has the power to blind enemies temporarily. It may be of use to you in battle one day, little warrior. The chain under it is a lasso similar to the one that I carry. However, where mine reveals truths, yours will incapacitate any opponent you face. If they have powers, and you catch them with your lasso, they will not have those powers as long as they are under the thrall of the chain, effectively making them as strong as an average person. However, if they are human and possess no powers, they will simply have almost no energy in their body."

Kara flew into Diana's open arms, giving her an extremely tight bear hug since she knew that Diana would be able to handle it. She burrowed her head into her Godmother's neck, whispering out a "Thank you," as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She sniffled and pulled away with a small smile.

Diana smiled softly at her, "Of course."

Alfred cleared his throat quietly, "Master Dick, Miss Kara, my gifts to you are your suits." He pointed to some large boxes that sat next to the tree and indicated for the two to open them. Dick opened his to reveal a slick black suit with a blue trim in the shape of a V that covered the torso, shoulders and arms. Kara's turned out to be a deep black suit that shone like petroleum with the crest of the House of El emblazoned proudly on the chest in red. A cape that seemed red one second and black the next was lightly fixed to the back of the neck of the suit. Alfred took a moment to explain, "Miss Kara, your suit is designed to compress your chest while not taking away any room to breathe. I designed it so that no matter which angle someone looks at you, it will appear that you have a flat chest." The blonde shot him a grateful look, "Thank you, Alfred. I love it and I know that it will be of great use to me in the future." Her brother nodded in agreement.

Finally, it was time to open their father's gifts to them. "I took the liberty of making the both of you some armor to wear on top of your suits as well as masks to conceal your identities. I want the two of you to be as safe as possible in the days to come, both in keeping your identities a secret and physically safe." Dick's armor included some boots that came up to mid-calf, a chest piece, a set of gauntlets, some armored briefs, and a mask that, when worn, would conceal his eye color along with giving him enhanced vision. Bruce, of course, had included some compartments in each part except the mask so that gadgets or tools could be accessed quickly. Kara's suit however, was a _little_ different. She wasn't nearly as vulnerable as her brother, so she received some boots, pauldrons, a mask, and a belt that had a sheathe for her new sword and a loop for her lasso. When all of their gifts were put together, they created quite an image. All of Dick's presents were colored black with a royal blue trim whereas Kara's were black and blood red. Kara picked up her suit to go try it on, cackling as she bounded up the stairs two at a time. Dick followed his sister out of the room at a more sedate pace, shaking his head at her antics.

Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon was currently enjoying a nice coffee before his quiet reverie would be inevitably interrupted by either some more awful paperwork or some ambitious reporter came to bug him about the body that had been dredged up from Gotham Harbor. He let out a sigh when a voice carried over to his ears, "Commissioner Gordon!" He turned to see Clark Kent, one of his least favorite reporters, walking over to him briskly, a teenage girl at his side. He turned to the taller man, "How can I help you today, Mr. Kent?" The man in question turned to his companion, "Alex, why don't you go explore while I question the Commissioner here?" Jim frowned, because even though it was a question, the other man formed the words as a statement, an order even. Alex scoffed before disappearing from the room.

The reporter turned back to Jim, "I have a reliable source that states that the body of Tony Zucco was recovered from Gotham Harbor last night, Commissioner. Can I get an official confirmation?"

Jim rubbed his eyes tiredly, "You would be correct, Mr. Kent. The body of former mob boss Anthony "Tony" Zucco was discovered late yesterday afternoon and retrieved from the harbor a few hours later."

He watched as the reporter slid his glasses back up his nose, knowing that all it would take was a few more answers to get the man out of his police station, and therefore his hair. Clark huffed, "Is there any news on a possible cause of death?"

Jim sighed, knowing he couldn't get around this answer. "The official cause of death is asphyxiation by drowning, though there were some slight contusions around his throat as though he was held forcefully underwater. It is due to this that the GCPD has decided to declare the death of Tony Zucco a homicide."

"And does the GCPD have any clues that might lead to a potential suspect?" Clark was frowning, after all, the nature of this crime pointed to someone with superpowers. The depth at which the mob boss had been drowned ruled out anything else. But he decided to leave crime in Gotham to Bruce. After all, this was his city.

Jim frowned back at the mild mannered reporter, "Unfortunately, we were unable to find any fingerprints or DNA that belonged to anyone other that Mr. Zucco. Due to this, the GCPD have no suspects at this time." Jim paused shortly, "If that's all, Mr. Kent…?" He was just riding from his seat to show the reporter out of his office and the building when his daughter burst through the door. "Dad! I made a new friend." She grinned behind her at the girl who accompanied Mr. Kent into the building earlier. "That's wonderful, darling." Barbara had always had difficulty making and keeping friends, so he really hoped that this one stuck around. He smiled at the slightly skittish looking girl, "Hello. I'm Barbara's dad. And who might you be?"

She looked at her feet before replying, "It's nice to meet you, sir. I'm Alex Danvers." Jim looked up just in time to see a flash of something close to anger on Clark's face before it was replaced with an indulgent smile. "I apologize, Commissioner. This is Alexandra Kent, my adoptive daughter." Alex stiffened, "How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your thick head? My _name_ is Alex Danvers, not Alexandra Kent." She spat out, "I am not, nor will I ever be, your daughter. You can't replace my parents, no matter how hard you think you try." Jim smothered a grin at the fiery teenager. "Well Alex, feel free to drop by Gotham any time you want. I'm sure Barbara would enjoy the company. After all, Metropolis is just across the bay so it wouldn't be too much of a trip." Clark forced a smile before gripping Alex's wrist a little too tightly, causing her to let out a small cry of pain. They said their farewells and left.

Jim let out a small sigh of relief, "Jeez, I can't stand that man." Barbara nodded before taking his chair, "Yeah she told me a little about how she came to live with the Kent's. She sounded miserable." At her dad's expectant look, she told him the story that Alex had told her of when she had met Lois for the first time.

 _Flashback:_

" _Lois turned her key in the lock to the apartment that she shared with Clark. She had just had what seemed like the longest day at work and really just wanted a glass of wine and to go to bed. As she opened the door, she heard shouting and paused. Curiosity getting the best of her, she walked into the living room. "Honey?" There was no response. The man in question was arguing with a lanky girl who looked about sixteen years of age. She tried again, "Clark! What is going on here? Why is there a teenager in our apartment?"_

 _He turned to Lois sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Aw shucks, Lois. I know that I should've asked you beforehand, but this is Alexandra Danvers. Her parents were close friends of mine, and I promised to take care of Alexandra if they were ever unable to. There was a house fire last night at the Danvers residence while Alexandra here was at a friend's house. Jeremiah and Eliza died in the fire."_

 _Lois startled, "Oh my god." She rushed over to the brunette and gave her a large hug, dropping her arms when the girl stiffened and didn't reciprocate the hug. "Are you okay, dear?" The girl mumbled out a, "Yeah I'm fine. And it's Alex, not Alexandra." She shuffled her feet and stared at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world._

" _Of course, Alex. And there is always a room available for you here. That is, if you want to stay here."_

 _Alex vehemently shook her head, "I don't actually. I want to go live with somebody that I know, not two strangers."_

 _Lois was about to say that she didn't want the girl to feel uncomfortable or stay somewhere that she didn't want to stay, but Clark cleared his throat, "She has to, unfortunately. There isn't anyone else that will take her in. I asked around before I picked her up."_

" _What?!" Alex cried out, "What about my friends? They'll let me stay with them, I'm sure of it."_

" _I'm sorry, Alexandra, but I guess the parents of your so-called friends didn't actually like you that much. No one wants a troublemaker under their roof." Clark said this with a noncommittal shrug._

 _Alex shook her head. "No no no no no. That isn't true! I'm not a troublemaker. All of my friend's parents loved me. You must be lying!"_

 _Clark put a hand on Alex's shoulder condescendingly, "People don't lie to Superman, Alexandra. And Superman doesn't lie either."_

 _Alex took a harsh step back, "I told you that my name was Alex, not Alexandra. I don't care if you are Superman. Your memory isn't so bad that you can't remember a simple name."_

 _He put his hands on his hips and spoke in a stern voice, "Young lady, that is no way to speak to your elders. You best go get in bed before you are grounded."_

 _It was at this point that Lois tried to step in, "Clark, maybe just give her a few days to get adjusted to a new life. This has to have been hard on her."_

 _The raven haired man gave her an indulging smile, "Alright, dear. Alexandra, it's still past your bedtime so go to your room."_

" _You aren't my dad. Don't tell me what to do!"_

 _Lois saw that Clark was getting upset so she smiled softly at Alex and said, "Come on, sweetie. I'll show you where your room is." Alex wanted to insist that she wasn't staying here, but that was a battle for tomorrow, so she nodded and followed Lois out of the room."_

By the time Barbara had finished her retelling, Jim's mouth was hanging open. "What a douche…" He realized that his daughter had heard him and rushed to correct himself, "I mean, what a jerk. Barbara, were the two of you able to exchange cell phone numbers?" At her nod, he continued, "Alright, I want you to stay friends with Miss Danvers. You let me know if anything happens between Mister Kent and her, alright?" She nodded, eager to help out her new friend in any way she could.


	5. Chapter 5: Damnable

"Karson, are you paying attention?" Her head lifted to see Bruce staring at her from across the board room table. "Yes, father. Of course." Bruce shook his head, "Then what was I talking about?" Kara's eyes widened minutely as she racked her brain to figure just what her dad had been talking about. It was true, she hadn't _quite_ been paying attention, but thanks to her Kryptonian physiology, she didn't _have_ to be paying attention. Her brain would process any information unconsciously. "Uh...you were talking about the proposal made by Kord Industries, weren't you?" Bruce nodded, "That would be correct. Now, what exactly was the proposal?" Kara sighed and looked out the glass wall of the large conference room, "Kord Industries has not been doing too well for the past year, and LexCorp is wanting to buy them out. However, Mr. Kord is not interested in his company being owned by Mr. Luthor, since he doesn't trust him. So he has offered Wayne Enterprises, and you in particular, a majority share of his company so that Mr. Luthor never gets his hands on the technology of Kord Industries." She turned back to her father, "So? What will you do? Will you save his company or let Mr. Luthor take it?" She watched Bruce start pacing around the room, "Ted is a friend, Karson. Of course, I'm going to help him," he paused before continuing, "Have you heard from your brother today?"

She stood up to try and get some of the stiffness out of her muscles, "Yeah, he's coming by in a few minutes. We're going to grab some Big Belly Burger for lunch. Do you want anything?" He shook his head, "No, that's fine. I'll have my secretary order some food for me later. I've got reports to read over anyways." She shrugged and made her way to the door, "Alright, so...we'll see you at home later, then?" He nodded, "Yeah, try not to stay up too late waiting for me though." She threw a smirk over her shoulder. _So it was going to one of those nights._ Kara absolutely loved when her father would allow Dick and her to go out on patrol on their own. Obviously, the Batman would be watching over the streets of Gotham tonight too, but he wouldn't babysit them thankfully. She exited the conference room and made her way down to the Wayne Enterprises lobby. She said her goodbyes to the front desk staff and made her way out of the lobby doors. Dick's car pulled up and she hopped in without hesitation. And then they were off, weaving in and out of Gotham City traffic until they reached the Big Belly Burger.

They had just finished ordering when an argument caught Kara's attention. The pair arguing were doing so in hushed whispers so no one else would really be able to hear them. _"Alex, just go over and talk to them. Seriously, I've met them before with my dad and they weren't all that bad."_ Kara looked around for the source and discovered Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl, and a brunette only a few booths away, sending herself and her brother looks every few seconds. Kara took some sips of her drink every few seconds to appear busy while she listened in. _"Babs, no! I'm not going to go over there and I quote, "Ask them to ask their dad to adopt me."_ Kara choked on her drink at hearing this, and unable to swallow, did a spit take in her brother's direction. He glared at her and wiped his face with as many napkins as he could, "Seriously?" She wiped off her mouth, "I am so sorry, Dick!" He looked like he was about to say something more before he got a mischievous glint in his eye, "Swallow, don't spit, Karson." He laughed as a blush took over her face quickly. Face burning, she looked away, her gaze falling on the pair that was now looking at them. She swatted his arm, "Pervert."

Her attention was again grabbed by Barbara and her companion as they made their way over to Kara and Dick's booth. Barbara stepped slightly in front of the brunette, "Do the two of you mind if we join you?" Kara and Dick slid closer to the wall to make room for the two newcomers, "Please, by all means." Barbara turned to the Wayne siblings, "Karson, Richard, this is Alex Kent." Seeing her friend about to object, she held up a finger to stop Alex, "Just don't call her by that last name. It's her adoptive one and she much prefers her biological last name, Danvers." Kara tensed hearing the name. "You wouldn't happen to have been adopted by _Clark Kent_ , would you?" Alex scowled, "Unfortunately. You know him?" Kara turned to the redhead next to her, "Barbara, we need to go." The girl looked at her confused, "Oh. Okay, well… we'll see you around sometime then?" She and Alex got up to let the Wayne siblings out, but Kara grabbed Barbara's arm gently. "Let us treat the two of you to lunch back at Wayne Manor. As an apology for skipping lunch here." The red haired girl just nodded in confusion, but she knew that Kara would explain the problem when the got far enough away from curious ears. She grabbed Alex's hand and led her to the convertible that was Dick's car for the day.

The ride back was silent as Kara fired off a text to Bruce saying he was needed at the Manor urgently. She made sure to tell him they were fine, but something came up that required his attention. It only took about ten minutes for Bruce to show up after they arrived. During those ten minutes, Alex's confusion and curiosity had grown until she was ready to burst. Finally, she blurted out, "What the hell is going on here? Why all the secrecy?" Dick's face was in his hands as he sat on one of the couches, "I don't even know where to start. This is going to suck so much." Barbara looked at Bruce, "Bruce, this is Alex Danvers. At least, that's her biological last name. Her adopted one is Kent. As in her adopted dad is Clark Kent."

Bruce's face fell, "Oh shit." He looked over at Kara briefly, noticing her clenched hands, rigid posture and her facing the wall. This was going to be _so_ tough for Kara. "Well, I think maybe I should start then. Alex, I know that Clark Kent is Superman. The reason I know that is because I'm Batman. Barbara over here is Batgirl, Dick is Nightwing, and Karson over there is Ajax." Kara put up a hand to stop him, "Dad, if we are going to tell the truth, I want her to know my secret." At his nod, she turned to Alex, "My real name is Kara. Not Karson. I'm Kara Zor-El of Krypton, and your dad is my cousin." Alex shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "I am so confused right now. What exactly are you saying?" Kara took a deep breath in an attempt to control her heartbeat, "I crash landed on this planet eight years ago. My cousin, Kal-El, rescued me from the escape pod I landed here in. He was going to leave me with a family called the Danvers, which means that we would have been adoptive sister maybe. But something didn't go according to plan and he brought me here to Bruce instead. He said that he couldn't raise me in his small apartment, that people would ask questions, that _Lois_ would ask questions. He didn't want me because I was, _am_ different. It's not a bad thing, I see that now, but Clark made me feel like I wasn't worthy of his love. I was born with a penis instead of a vagina, and Clark believes that makes me _wrong, deformed_. So he left me here with Bruce, and Bruce gave up his party lifestyle to take care of me, to take me in. He got married, and then adopted Dick later on. He showed me that I'm not wrong because of what set of genitals I have. However, the media would have a field day if they ever found out, because the media can and will be mean if given the I pose as a boy in public, hence the name Karson."

Alex was still confused, "But what does that have to do with me?" Barbara jumped in, "Babe, Clark took you in shortly after he dropped her off here. He lied to them about not being able to take care of someone. He used to be close friends with Bruce, but never told him that he took in another. He dropped Kara off here, and has barely ever asked after her. He doesn't care about her, doesn't care that she took on the name Wayne. Yet he took you in, when you didn't even want to move in with him. He made you take the name Kent, but won't even look at his biological family. The only family he has left. Alex, I know Clark doesn't talk about it, but their planet Krypton? It's gone, destroyed, and its never coming back. Everything and everyone they once knew was disintegrated. And he has no problems throwing away the last remaining member of his family. There's something wrong with that. Not only that, but he treats you like crap, so why would he adopt you if he doesn't want to take care of you? Hell, you spend most of your time in Gotham nowadays anyways, and he doesn't care where you are or what you're doing. It's just… the situation is weird, to say the least."

Alex's breath was heavy and her eyes were wide by the time Barbara was finished explaining. "What the everloving fuck?!" Barbara rubbed her lower back before she started to hyperventilate, "I know, baby. It's a lot to take in." Bruce gave the couple a minute to compose themselves before offering, "Alex, if Clark doesn't know or care where you are most of the time, you can stay here. I would adopt you as I have Kara and Dick, but unfortunately, it would cause too many problems right now. The last thing we need is Clark showing up demanding to know why we filed for custody of you." Alex grinned, "Well, I'm actually twenty-two so Clark can't say anything if I decide to move out anyways. I was kind of planning on it once I found a place in Gotham that was in a low-crime area and affordable area." Bruce nodded his head, "Then by all means, move on in. Even with Kara and Dick and the occasional visitor, there are too many empty rooms in this house." Alex nodded in agreement, "Well, alright then. I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you." Bruce looked around at the other people gathered there, before replying distractedly, "Yeah, no problem." Bruce was just now noticing, but where was Kara? How had she managed to slip away without his noticing? Especially since she was the main person being talked about? He saw that Dick had noticed this too now, so he just nodded when Dick motioned that he was going to go find his sister. _Oh, there is going to be hell to pay, Clark. And none of us will stop her when she comes for you._


	6. Chapter 6: Disguise

By the time Dick found Kara, he had already searched everywhere else in the manor he could think of before deciding to check the roof. Kara was laying down on one of the flat portions of the roof, short hair being ruffled by a slight breeze and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. He sat down next to her, not talking as she preferred silence whenever she was upset. She finally turned her gaze from the stars to her brother, "I'm sorry, Dick. I know I shouldn't have run off like that, but I just had to get away." He nodded in understanding, content to just let her speak. "Hey, let's go do something fun." He sat cross-legged, "What do you have in mind?" She propped herself on an elbow and turned to him. She arched her eyebrow and slowly said, "I was thinking maybe tonight we could go to a club?" He grinned at her, "Of course! Do you have anywhere specific in mind?" She stood, helping her brother to his feet, "I was thinking of the Iceberg Lounge. What do you think?" He threw back his head with a laugh, "Oh my god, you know that's going to piss off dad. Mom not so much, but dad is going to be _furious_." She pulled him towards the door, "It's settled then. Be ready to go in 30. We'll take one of the cars."

When they pulled up to the Iceberg Lounge, Kara handed the keys to the waiting valet. They stepped out of the car and were immediately swarmed by the paparazzi. _There are more here than usual tonight. I wonder who is here?_ They walked past the line for the club, nodding at the bouncer as they entered. Kara could hear people in the line saying how unfair it was that "they had to wait in line for hours, while the Wayne brothers got in immediately and without a cover fee." They made their way up some stairs that led into the office that overlooked the dance floor and bar. Kara walked right in without so much as knocking. Dick followed closely and watched as Kara approached the owner, giving him a quick hug. "Uncle Oswald!" The man turned around with a startled _wenk!_ "Oh Kara, it's you. I wasn't expecting to see the two of you here tonight." Kara sighed and plopped herself down on one of the leather couches, her brother sliding in right beside her. "It's been a long day, and we needed to relax. Do you mind if we hang out in here for a little bit before going back downstairs?" The short club-owner let out a laugh around his cigarette holder, "Of course I don't mind. Cigarette?" Kara happily accepted the offer. Smoking couldn't hurt her, but the habit itself was relaxing.

Kara just sat there for the next few minutes, occasionally ashing her cigarette. Her mind quickly took her back to the first time she visited this club. Penguin had ordered a bodyguard to fetch her from the dance floor so they could speak in private. He had told her that he knew her secret, knew she Kara, not Karson. He told her that he knew that she had killed Tony Zucco, and he would keep her secrets to himself as long as she didn't interfere in his slightly illegal activities. When she asked him how he knew, he replied that he had eyes and ears all over the city, so of course he knew. But over time, their relationship had changed from blackmail to something quite like family. She had become something of a business partner of sorts to him. She made sure his plans worked and no innocents got hurt, and he provided her with an outlet for her anger, since money was of no use to her.

She sighed and put out her cigarette, bidding farewell to her Uncle and dragging Dick down the stairs to the dance floor. The Iceberg Lounge was slightly chilly and dry ice was misted all over, making the dance floor hazy and hard to see through. Lights flashed in all directions and the floor vibrated slightly as the loud dance music pulsed around them. They danced for a few songs before Kara excused herself to one of the VIP booths at the back of the room. She sat nursing her drink until she felt eyes upon her. There was no point in searching for an elevated heartbeat when the whole building was filled with dancing bodies, so she waited for the person to come to her. Finally, she caught sight of someone walking towards her slowly, as though trying not to be noticed. Kara decided to play along for the fun of it and paid attention to her drink until a throat cleared in front of her. She looked up and was just blown away by the woman standing in front of her. She was breathtaking. She was shorter than Kara but with her heels they would stand about on the same level. The stranger's bright green eyes connecting with deep blue and Kara suddenly felt like a fish out of water. "Hello, do you mind if I join you?" The woman had a straight face on, like she was waiting for a rejection from Kara. Kara, however, stuttered and nodded frantically at the woman. "Thank you," the woman sighed, "I should probably introduce myself seeing as I already know who you are. My name is Lena. Lena Luthor." When Kara still didn't reply, Lena's back stiffened and she started to rise. Kara stumbled forward, "S-Sorry, I got distracted. I'm Karson Wayne and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I know who you are Mr. Wayne, and I must say...the pleasure is all mine." Lena looked Kara up and down hungrily. Kara gulped, feeling quite like prey, which was saying something considering she was one of the most powerful people on the planet. "Um...How can I help you, Ms. Luthor?" Kara's eyes were drawn to a flash of silver at Lena's neck. "That's a beautiful necklace you're wearing, Ms. Luthor." She looked down, "It is, thank you. My brother gave this to me as a birthday present. As for how you can help me, I'm sure you can see, I'm without a date tonight. Would you object too terribly much if I asked you to keep me company tonight?" Mind hazy, Kara shook her head, "I would be delighted, Ms. Luthor. But, won't your brother be upset once he learns who is accompanying you?" The raven-haired woman snorted slightly as she shook her head, "Lex can be mad all he wants, Mr. Wayne. I don't care if he gets upset that I spent my time with one of the sons of the man who foiled his plans to buy out Kord Industries. And please, call me Lena." The Wayne scion nodded her head quickly, "Of course. And please, call me Kar...Karson." Kara coughed to cover the slight slip of her name. She stood and offered her hand to Lena, "Dance with me?" She led the other woman out onto the dance floor, focusing on the movement of their bodies and the thumping of the music. Bright blue lights cut through the haze of the club every now and then, occasionally illuminating them in the otherwise dark club. As they danced, breathing grew heavier and became visible in the cold club air.

The longer Lena and Kara danced together, the more and more disoriented Kara became. The already loud noises only increased in volume and the smell of Lena's perfume intensified, drawing Kara into the crook of Lena's neck. She breathed past the slight sting on perfume and focused instead on the natural smell wafting off of Lena. Her tongue flicked out to taste the slight sweat on the other woman's skin. "Lenaaaaaa… You smell so _good_ …" The green-eyed woman took a startled step back and took in Karson's appearance, "Mr. Wayne, I know I asked for your company tonight, but that was inappropriate." His eyes were squinted and glassed over, and he wore a dopey smile on his face. "Lena, you smell like peaches," he paused for a second before continuing, "Do you think they serve peaches here? Or pancakes? I love pancakes." Lena stepped close to the Wayne heir again, "Karson, are you alright?" A blinding smile was flashed her way, "Lena, I am so alright right now. You don't even know."

The youngest Luthor grabbed Karson by the hand and led her to a secluded area, "Are you high?" Her tone was incredulous, "No wait, I was watching you for a while and you didn't smoke or eat anything. You didn't take any pills. But you did drink. Have you been roofied?!" Now it was Karson's turn to take her hand, "Lena, take me home." Lena was taken aback by Karson's somber tone, but in the space of a single blink, the blonde was giggling again. "What's so funny?" She hoisted one of his arms over her shoulder and helped him outside and into her personal car. She turned to the driver, "Wayne Manor, Charles." She turned back to Kara, wrestling the blonde to stay seated and not lay down, "Karson, what is so funny?" Lena watched deep hazy blue eyes attempt to focus on her. Karson was full blown laughing now, and she couldn't stop as she moved slightly in Lena's direction, "I'm not Karson." Lena was speechless, "What? Of course, you are. You're Karson Wayne. Everyone knows of you. I did my research before moving here." Karson kept attempting to speak but would break out into fresh giggles every few seconds. "No! See I'm really not Karson though. You wanna know who I am?" Lena silently nodded, leaning back in her seat to fully look at the Wayne heir who seemed to have lost his mind. Karson leaned into Lena, whispering conspiratorially, "I am a Wayne…. sorta. But I'm not Karson." Lena shook her head, "So if you aren't Karson, then who are you?" The tall blonde got as close to Lena's ear as was possible from her position and softly whispered, "My name is Kara, not Karson." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she fell back on the seat and let out a loud snore. Lena stared at the blonde, shocked by the blonde's words. _Oh...well, that's quite the twist._


	7. Chapter 7: Disease

Kara woke earlier than normal, and blinked in confusion at the light coming in through the curtains on her window. A soft knock on the door drew her attention and she slowly sat up to answer it. Upon opening the door, the breath was knocked out of her by her mother. "Oh sweetie, we were so worried. You and your brother left together last night, but you came home hours before him." Kara rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, "How did I get home? All I remember is being approached by Lena Luthor." A gruff voice sounded from the doorway, "So something did happen to Kara. The Luthors will answer for this." Selina sighed, "What your father means to say, Kara, is that a car registered to Ms. Luthor dropped you off here last night and then left shortly afterwards. Your brother said that he saw the two of you talking but you were acting different than normal. He said that you appeared to be drunk but alcohol doesn't affect you so that couldn't be it." Kara furrowed her brows in thought, but before she could say anything, her father interrupted, "I think I know what it might have been. Did Ms. Luthor have anything on her person? It would have been silver colored." She perked up, "Yeah, actually. She had this silver necklace on. Said her brother gave it to her." Her mother and father exchanged a look, "Shit."

Lena had hacked into her brother's system and was looking through his files on Krypton when something caught her eye. It was a page on the different forms of kryptonite, but it was only partially finished. Entries like green, red, and blue kryptonite were filled with paragraph upon paragraph, but some entries had no information other than the name. These included gold kryptonite, x-kryptonite, and silver kryptonite. It couldn't be, he wouldn't have… Her hand flew to the simple piece of jewelry her brother had given her. Given his interest in the Kryptonians, he could have very well handed her a sliver of silver kryptonite disguised as a simple piece of jewelry. He couldn't have done it out of malice, he was still her brother after all. So then he must've done it so that she would know if a Kryptonian was hiding amongst them. And it seemed she had found one. Lex's notes had at one point mentioned a pod crashing down to Earth years after Superman had arrived. But if the pod contained Karson, or Kara (apparently), then why wouldn't Superman raise one of the last members of his species? What could possibly drive him to leave a young girl with Bruce Wayne? Why would Bruce Wayne be capable of raising a budding Kryptonian?

Lena would return to the mysteries surrounding Bruce Wayne, but for now she was focused on the intrigue that was Karson (Kara, she reminded herself) Wayne. Why would a young girl, now woman, pose as a man? What could possibly explain that? She would have to think more on that, but her goal had to be changed. Her original plan was to get close to the Wayne heir, to seduce him and take all he had. But now, everything was different. Oh, she was still going to get close to Kara, and she was definitely still going to seduce her, but now she knew that Kara wasn't human. Now that she had seen Kara become affected by the silver kryptonite, she knew she wasn't of this earth. No, Kara was far stronger than anyone from earth ever would be, could possibly be stronger than the Man of Steel himself. She would get under the Kryptonian's skin, and be a subtle thought at the back of the blonde's mind. And one day, Kara would become dependent on her. She wouldn't take any choices away from the blonde, but she would be the one that Kara would come to for support. She would be both the Kryptonian's weakness and her strength. And given the fact that Superman wasn't the one who had raised her, obviously there was some kind of tension that existed between them. One day, Kara would snap and she would be there when she did. She would use that position to drive the wedge in Kara's relationship with Superman even deeper. Superman would probably come after her once he discovered the nature of their relationship, and Kara would be there to defend her. She would stand with her against him, and once the world was free of the Big Blue Boy Scout (as Lex liked to call him), Lena would take over with the blonde beside her. All she had to do was gain her trust first.

Lena closed her laptop and looked out at the rainy night, deciding to go on a late night stroll. She grabbed her jacket and walked out of her building, heading for the park a block away. She didn't need to worry about getting mugged seeing as she always carried her firearm on walks like this. She gripped her pistol a little tighter as she heard a scuffle nearby. Curiosity got the best of her and she made her way over to where the noise was coming from. Slowly, the muffled voices came into focus. "Zor-El, you must come with me. The future is in danger!" As Lena approached, she saw two distinct outlines, one hovering just above the ground and the other pleading with arms wide open. Lena cursed as a twig snapped under her heel, giving away her position to the two arguing. The figure who had been addressed as Zor-El snapped their head over to her location, "Ms. Luthor, come on out. There is no point in hiding." As Lena emerged from the bush she had been crouched behind, a squeal erupted from the other figure. "Ms. Luthor? As in Ms. Lena Luthor?! Zor-El, now you have to help. The two of you are quite well known in the future."

Zor-El scowled down at the humanoid figure. "For the last time, my name is Ajax. Stop calling me Zor-El. And my answer is still no. Go back to your own time and get out of my city." The purple haired alien shook her head, "You are called Ajax for now. In the future, everyone knows you by the name Zor-El. And I'm afraid that I have to insist. You see, if you don't come with me, something truly terrible will happen in the future." When the hovering figure still refused, the alien with purple hair sighed, "If you don't willingly come with me, I'm going to infect Ms. Luthor with a disease that can only be cured in the 31st century, so you will be forced to come." The floating figure rose and spoke menacingly, "You won't do anything of the sort," before sucking in air and blowing towards the other alien. The wind froze her in place immediately, though you could see her eyes moving wildly behind the ice. Zor-El looked towards Lena, "Ms. Luthor, you may want to look away." Lena stood her ground however, and watched in amazement as the light filled the eyes of the flying Kryptonian before bright blue lasers flew towards the alien encased in ice. The heat shattered the frozen girl into a million tiny pieces until nothing was left of her. The Super turned towards her, "I am sorry you had to witness that."

"But you aren't sorry for killing her?" Zor-El shook his head, "No, I am not. She posed a threat to your safety. If she was really from the future like she said she was, then she should've known what I would do when someone is threatened. I am not my cousin, Ms. Luthor. I don't believe in second chances." Lena hummed, "I supposed I can respect that. Can I do anything to make it up to you for saving my life? And what should I call you? Ajax? Or Zor-El?" The Kryptonian looked up at the stars before looking back down to the brunette, "I suppose now that the future has said my name will be Zor-El, now would be as good a time as any to call myself that. And unfortunately, someone is in trouble across the city so I must leave, but I will be in touch with you, Ms. Luthor. You can count on that." She rose slowly, almost to the rooftops when the brunette shouted, "Call me Lena. And it will be my pleasure, I'm sure." As the newly-christened Zor-El flew towards trouble, she smiled at the idea of spending some more time with the intriguing Luthor.


	8. Chapter 8: Jealousy

Karson entered the large conservatory before choosing a quiet place to sit. On days like this, she needed a spot to think where she would hopefully be uninterrupted. She thought about the situation with Ms. Luthor. She was a beautiful woman, of that there was no doubt. But she also had a quick mind and undoubtedly knew that Karson was, in reality, Kara. What she would do with the information was to be seen, but from what Kara knew of her, she would keep it to herself until the knowledge could be used to her benefit. Unfortunately, it was also highly likely that she had deduced Kara was also a Kryptonian. If she had access to her brother's files on Krypton, she had probably figured out that Kara's behavior at the Iceberg Lounge was not normal behavior.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Whoever it was, was trying to be quiet as they came closer to her location. Slowly, a head of flaming red hair came around the corner and a sultry voice called out, "Hello Karson. What brings you to the Botanic Gardens?" The redhead walked over to sit on the bench next to the blonde. "Hey Pamela. I just needed somewhere to think. The plants relax me. I think I told you, but there were no plants on Krypton by the time I was born. Our planet was completely barren. This part of the conservatory usually doesn't attract people, so it's nice and quiet."

Pamela nodded, "I completely understand the appeal then. I cannot imagine a place where there is no green or vibrant colors from flowers."

Karson laid down on the bench, resting her head on Pamela's lap. A hand carded through her short hair, "What's on your mind, kiddo? I haven't heard from your mom lately. Last I heard, you had an interesting encounter with the youngest Luthor, but your mom didn't elaborate."

The blonde covered her face with her hands, "I'm not sure what to make of her, Pam. She's smart, and beautiful, and took care of me when I was basically drugged. And then, she was threatened by an alien from the future, so I ended the threat. She knows who I am and she probably knows where I'm from. But her brother is Lex Luthor, and he's getting crazier by the day. Some of the things he says… I'm scared he will try to follow through on them. And Lena is so close to him. What if she starts to believe what he says about aliens?"

There was a beat of silence before Pamela spoke quietly, "Kara, do you like Lena?"

Kara turned to look at her, "Well, of course. She's a nice enough person."

Pamela shook her head with a chuckle, "No, Kara. I mean, do you like her in a romantic sense?"

Kara bolted up, almost whacking Pam in her haste to sit up, yelping, "Why would you think that?" The noise attracted a look from a passing couple, who hurried off whispering excitedly.

The redhead stared at the blonde with wide eyes and spoke in a hushed voice, "Keep your voice down. I only ask because of how you speak about her. You say how beautiful and smart she is, but your level of concern for her is a little much for near strangers. Just think it through for a moment. Would you be fine with just becoming her friend? Or do you think you might want more? Be honest with yourself."

Kara knew she wanted to be friends with the youngest Luthor, but she didn't think she would be content with just that. Her mind kept wandering to the way Lena looked in that club, how her body had felt against her own as they danced in the haze of the Iceberg Lounge. With that thought, she knew that she would never be able to just be friends with the green eyed woman. But she also didn't just want to be friends with benefits, either. She would need more than that.

Pamela saw the realization dawn in the blonde's eyes and she nodded her head, "That's what I thought, sweetie. Now, go home and relax. You'll need a plan for how you can win her over. After all, she plays things close to the chest and you don't have any experience in wooing a girl. Flowers and chocolates won't quite do it for this one."

Kara gave Pamela a tight hug before stepping back, "Thank you, Pamela. I hadn't expected to see anyone when I came here but I am happy that you were here to help me realize what I really want. I'll have my mom give you a call!" Kara waved goodbye before running out of the conservatory and down to her motorcycle. She mounted the bike and sped away, dodging traffic as she went.

* * *

The next morning saw Kara eating a bowl or three of Lucky Charms when her brother wandered in with the newspaper. He was laughing as he read an article, "What's so funny, huh?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and threw the paper on the table in front of Kara, "Oh, nothing really. Apparently some young bachelor was seen with a redhead yesterday." Kara hummed for a moment before choking on her cereal as the realization dawned on her. Cheeks bulging with cereal, she scrambled to grab the newspaper. Her eyes grew wider with every passing word until finally it became too much and she couldn't hold the cereal in her mouth anymore. She almost did a spit take, but with a large swallow, she was able to avoid having partially chewed Lucky Charms and milk all over the table and newspaper.

"What the fuck?" She desperately scanned the paper as if searching for some answer that just wasn't there. According to the paper, Karson Wayne had been seen getting cozy with a certain redheaded Dr. Pamela Isley at the Giordano Botanic Gardens. That couple that had passed by at the conservatory yesterday must've told the press, even if they had no idea what was actually going on. People would do anything to make a little money, after all. Dick pointed to the paper, "Turn the page, Kar." She did and her eyes closed in on a picture of her and Pam! When did they even take that? What would Lena think? She would think that Kara wasn't available and that she was dating Pam! Pamela was attractive, but Kara was way more interested in Lena.

Kara let out a sigh as she put the paper down. This was going to suck.

* * *

Lena was packing the last of her clothes into a bag, and listening to the tv drone on about absolutely nothing when the name Karson caught her ears. She turned to see a report about Kara being seen at the Botanical Gardens with an attractive red head. There was speculation on if they were dating and if so, how long had they been dating? Well if Kara had decided to date someone, then that was fine by her. At least for now. She was going to be in Metropolis for the next few weeks anyways working at one of the many LexCorp labs until her own lab could be set up in Gotham.

She would let Kara mess around if she wished, but as soon as she got back to Gotham, Kara was hers.


	9. Chapter 9: Brute

It was another stormy night in Gotham. Jim Gordon had joined Barbara and Alex at a local diner before returning to the Gotham City Police Department, girls in tow just a few feet behind him. He didn't want them out on the streets. Not tonight and definitely not when he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. So he settled down to do some paperwork that had been piling up on the corner of his desk. The girls sat close together off to the side, talking quietly and giggling every now and then. He knew that his daughter had quite the crush on the young brunette, and he was sure the feeling was reciprocated, but for some reason, neither of them had made a move yet and he was getting impatient. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, only looking up when the door to his office banged open.

Clark Kent stood in front of him, face drawn in a thunderous scowl as he took in the two young women nearly sitting in each other's laps on the couch.

The journalist's voice came out hoarsely, "Get up. Now."

When the brunette did nothing to comply with his orders, he stormed over to the couch. Jim rose as the man stood intimidatingly over his daughter and her friend.

"Mr. Kent, I don't know what you think you are doing, but I insist that you leave _now_ before I get some officers to either escort you off the premises or into a cell. Your choice."

The taller man gazed at him briefly, disdain and contempt written all over his face, "You think you can tell me what to do?" he scoffed, "You're just an old man." A flash of red quickly crossed across the journalist's face as he turned away to once again face Alex, "You _will_ come with me now. I am tired of you corrupting innocent young women with your abhorrent ways. I have picked a nice, respectable man who is willing to enter a relationship with you, even knowing as he does about your _deviant_ behavior. He will be able to fix you." A sneer twisted his face at the end of his statement. He took a few steps towards the brunette, who was now retreating from the massive reporter. He trapped her into a corner and grabbed her wrist in an iron grip.

Jim's hand moved down to his sidearm, "You aren't taking her anywhere, you son of a bitch. Let go of her this instant or I will place you under arrest for assault and battery." The taller man turned to him quickly, "I took her in when no one else wanted her, I have taken care of her for years. You mean to tell me what to do with _my property?_ She's mine to do with as I please."

Jim's face contorted in disgust, "The hell she is!" He drew his sidearm and leveled it at the journalist, "Get the hell out of my office." He turned to call out to his sergeant for some backup when all of a sudden he was thrown over his desk and into the wall behind him, which cracked from his weight. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision as he scrambled for his glasses and gun. He needed to make sure that Barbara was okay. His hearing was muffled, but he could hear some arguing going on between her and that goddamned Kent. He shook his head and blinked a few times, his vision finally coming back in time to see his daughter get backhanded through the window, a quiet thump following shortly after. Jim scrambled to his feet and lunged at the window, only to see his daughter lying unmoving on the pavement two stories down. He turned to the massive figure that loomed menacingly over the brunette and drew his gun, firing off four shots into the back of the monster. He crouched as the bullets ricocheted off of the other man's back, exposing a dark blue chainmail-like fabric underneath his shirt.

The taller man turned to him, eyes burning a hellish red as crimson flashed across his twisted face once again. Before anything could happen, a few members of his department burst in, sidearms leveled at the hulking monstrosity. Reporters followed close behind, cameras flashing and murmuring about, "Clark Kent is Superman?!"

The newly exposed Superman turned back to Alex, "You will pay for this, scum. No one will ever want you." His scowl turned into a grin of glee and he took her arm in both hands, one at her hand and the other at her elbow. "You've exposed me, and for that you're going to pay, Alexandra Danvers."

He slowly started pulling at her wrist, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. She cried out as her muscles and joints snapped and her tendons broke from the force. Her skin started to rip and tear in some places and by now the woman was wailing as she pounded at his chest and tried to get away. Blood started to spurt from the wound as her veins and arteries finally popped from the pressure. The was absolutely nothing that Jim and his officers could do but call for an ambulance as their attempts to move the man had failed. There was a sickening crunch as the bones started to splinter before they snapped. There was a sickening thud as the arm was dropped to the floor and Alex followed close behind. She fell to her knees, eyes looking at something in the distance as she cradled what remained of her arm to her chest.

Superman grinned before cocking his head and flying out the same window he had thrown Barbara through earlier. Moments later, the Batman arrived in his Batmobile, looking up and meeting Jim's eyes as he scooped up Barbara and put her in his car before driving off to wherever he had come from.

A figure descended into view, carefully picking up Alex and cradling her to their chest before giving Commissioner Gordon a quick glance. A deep voice came from the new person, "I will stop him, and he will face justice for what he has done. I swear it by Rao and the House of El." She gave him a parting glance, nodded, and flew out the window, following Batman.


	10. Chapter 10: Changes

There was no sound where she was. Blinding white walls seemed to stretch on for eternity in all directions. She called out to ask if anyone was around but no sound escaped her throat, no matter how hard she tried to speak. Tears leaked from her eyes and she moved to wipe them away but when she touched her cheek, she found no water there. In fact, it almost felt as though someone were cradling her face in their hands. A building pressure behind her eyes forced her to close them with a groan. From the silence came a murmur before sounds rushed back to her like a torrent and built until she could hear nothing but an unintelligible din. The headache subsided and the noise died back down until all that was left was a quiet sobbing. Just as Barbara had resigned herself to not quite understanding what was going on, something in her mind clicked.

With a gasp, she violently threw herself from the bed she had lain on for months, as her last memories came back to her. She remembered glass breaking around her, her world turning sideways, and a fall that lasted forever. She remembered the sickening crunch as she made contact with the grimy concrete outside GCPD headquarters. And finally, she remembered vaguely hearing a commotion echoing down to her from her father's office before the darkness consumed her.

A hand grasped at her shoulder and she violently shrugged it off as she turned around with wild eyes. Nothing made sense. She couldn't breathe. What was happening? Why couldn't she breathe?! Her eyes rolled to take in her surroundings and she could feel the darkness coming to take her once more.

Crack!

In one moment, most everything stopped, the exception being the pain starting to flair up in her cheek. Noise came back as the perpetrator was socked across the face by a woman in black pants, a brown leather jacket, and black gloves. Barbara's eyes widened as she continued to gaze at the other woman. She'd recognize that auburn hair anywhere, even if it had been cut into a bob.

"Alex?"

The woman turned and Barbara could tell that some time had passed since she had been hurt. The girl she had feelings for had matured into a woman, her face losing its roundness in favor of prominent cheekbones and a jaw that could cut diamonds. How much time had passed since that day in her father's office?

Alex was quick to sit by Barbara's side, "How are you feeling? I can't believe you finally woke up. Can you move any? Are you in any pain?" The questions were rapid fire and Barbara couldn't help but smile at the worry in her friend's voice.

She squeezed Alex's hand before attempting to speak, "I'm…" Her voice was rusty from disuse. She shook her head before continuing, "Water?"

Alex's eyes widened as she frantically looked around, "Of course, let me just get you…" There was a burst of wind and suddenly, a cup and pitcher of water was placed on the bedside table. Alex looked to the side and murmured a quick thank you. It was then that Barbara noticed the other people in the room. In the corner away from the bed and partially hidden in shadows were a pair. One had shaggy black hair and was clad in jeans and a graphic tee. The other had blonde hair that was cropped close on the sides and long on the top and was wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. They were talking amongst themselves in low voices. Barbara was pretty positive that these people were Dick and Kara, though she couldn't be absolutely sure. They had aged as well and obviously something serious had happened as there was a long whitened scar stretching the length on Kara's right arm.

Finished with her water, Barbara turned her attention back to Alex. "How much time has passed? You're obviously older."

A sad look entered Alex's eyes and she almost looked hesitant to answer, "Three years. You've been in this bed for three years, Barbara. I thought you were never going to wake up. Not after what happened and not after what the doctors told us."

Barbara swallowed thickly, "And what did they tell you, Alex?"

"It doesn't matter. Not right now, at least. You need to focus on resting."

The blonde in the corner spoke up and no there was no mistake. This was Kara, though her voice had become colder and harder since last they spoke. "Alex. She needs to know." Alex's mouth opened as if to argue but her shoulders slumped and Barbara knew that she wouldn't like what was coming next.

"There was a lot of damage after what he did. We all changed in some way but you… you fell two stories. The doctors said there was no way you were ever going to wake up. They said you weren't showing any signs of recovery and that you were a lost cause. They told us your legs were completely fucking shattered and there was no way to fix it. So we told them to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine and brought you back here. We tried so many different things to try and get you to wake up, but the only positive reaction was when some Thanagarian nanites were brought over by Kara's beau. The nanites had previously been in a state of dormancy, but as soon as they got close to you, they became active. On contact, they were absorbed into your skin and set out repairing the damage. They took a while to fix everything, but obviously they got the job done since you're awake. I just realized that I'm ranting and I am so sorry but I'm just so happy to see you awake."

Kara walked over to side beside Alex, "I know it's been a while, but would you like to try standing up, Barbara? This way we can see just how well those tiny bots did."

Barbara rushed to get out of the hospital bed, tripping over her own in the process. She was caught by Alex who smiled gently, "Careful please. Don't want you to wind up back in that bed." The redhead nodded slowly, noticing on the side just how long her hair had grown in three years. She took a few tentative steps forward, much like a baby foal standing on its own for the first time.

Finally her legs felt sturdy and she straightened her back to stand at her full height. She noted with a frown that she was still a few inches shorter than Alex, but brushed it off as Alex's height helped cut quite a handsome picture in her outfit. She turned to face both her crush and the super, "Tell me everything that happened."


End file.
